CVE-2025-6574 in Service Finder Bookings Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/01/2025
The Service Finder Bookings plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via account takeover in all versions up to, and excluding, 6.1. This is due to the plugin not properly validating a user's identity prior to updating their details like email. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to change arbitrary user's email addresses, including administrators, and leverage that to reset the user's password and gain access to their account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2025
The CVE-2025-6574 vulnerability affects the Service Finder Bookings plugin for WordPress, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the platform's user authentication and authorization mechanisms. This vulnerability exists in all plugin versions up to but not including 6.1, making it a persistent threat across multiple releases. The flaw stems from inadequate validation of user identities during account modification processes, specifically when updating email addresses within the plugin's administrative interface. The vulnerability's severity is compounded by the fact that it requires only subscriber-level access or higher to exploit, meaning that attackers who have already gained entry to a lower-privilege account can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges significantly.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows authenticated attackers to manipulate the user account update functionality in ways that bypass normal security controls. When a user attempts to modify their email address through the plugin's interface, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has authorization to make changes to the target account. This validation gap creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation where attackers can specify any email address during the update process, including that of administrator accounts. The flaw directly relates to CWE-284, which describes inadequate access control mechanisms, and specifically manifests as a weakness in authorization validation where the system does not properly enforce access restrictions. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials, as it enables attackers to assume the identity of other users through account takeover.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple account modification, as it creates a complete account takeover capability that can be leveraged for further attacks within the WordPress environment. Once an attacker successfully changes an administrator's email address, they can exploit the password reset functionality to gain full administrative access to the WordPress installation. This access enables them to modify content, install malicious plugins, alter user permissions, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive data. The vulnerability's exploitation chain begins with minimal initial access requirements, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users with subscriber privileges might have access to the system. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be executed through normal user interface interactions without requiring specialized tools or deep technical knowledge, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-6574 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 6.1 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper identity validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as monitoring for unauthorized email address changes within user accounts, particularly for administrator-level users. Network segmentation and access control policies should be reviewed to limit the potential damage from compromised accounts, and multi-factor authentication should be enforced for all administrative accounts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and authorization checks in web applications, reinforcing principles from the OWASP Top Ten that emphasize the need for robust access control mechanisms. Security teams should also conduct thorough penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify similar flaws in other plugins and themes, as this type of vulnerability commonly exists in poorly validated user management interfaces. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing to ensure that the update does not introduce compatibility issues with existing site functionality while maintaining the integrity of the authentication and authorization systems.